


The Code

by Lionheart39



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 10:58:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21269930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionheart39/pseuds/Lionheart39
Summary: The master has plans that will interfere with the Brigadier's retirement. Can the Doctor and Sarah save him?





	The Code

They say that marriages later in life are more contented. In Doris's opinion that was true. Alistair and she had settled down easily in to married life together. Some days Doris felt like they had been together for years rather than just months. The only thing that spoilt her contentment was Alistair never told her anything about his life in UNIT.

If you listened to his conversation you would imagine he had been a school teacher his whole life. But his obvious military bearing did tend to give his former career away. That and the fact that most friends and acquaintances were more likely to call him Brigadier rather then his given name.

But today she hoped to get some insight into Alistair's past. He had been invited to officiate at a special Armistice day ceremony to celebrate the foundation of UNIT as well as to honour those who lost their lives serving in the regiment. As one of the founders of UNIT and it's original UK Commander the invitation had included his wife. Alistair couldn't really refuse to let her go with him

She had also insisted on accompanying him the week before when he had gone to UNIT’s UK base, on the outskirts of London, to discuss arrangements. Security was very tight on the UNIT base, she’d lived on army bases before and had never seen security like there was here; but at the sight of Alistair getting out of the car the gates were efficiently opened. Salutes were given all around, the younger men were looking in awe at her husband. Alistair got back in the drivers seat and a young Captain slid into the rear seat of their car.

“Sir, Mam, I'm Captain Franks, it's a pleasure to be assigned to assist you today,” As the car set off he said, “The church is....” the car turned sharply left before the officer could give any directions, the young man murmured his apologies. 

They drove in silence to the church. Alistair spoke to the Padre and Captain about the service, while Doris walked around the modern airy church.

Doris had seen other regimental walls of honour, but the vast expanse of black granite that covered two walls of the church, with the names of the fallen picked out in gold lettering, was truly shocking to see, especially when you knew that this regiment was less than twenty five years old. She sat on the pew nearest the door and watched her husband walk slowly around the church looking at every name, often putting out his hand to touch the ones that had some deeper meaning. Doris saw his shoulders slumping but as often as they did he consciously snapped back into his accustomed stiff military bearing. He stopped at one name and seemed to stare at it for moments before swivelling around on his heels and looking at Captain Franks.

“Corporal Thomas Franks!” he said, as he looked at the young officer, then nodded to himself, “your father?”

The Captain, clearly upset, nodded. 

“I remember he always used to whistle an annoying tune while writing letters home, The Blue Peter theme, that was it!” Alistair exclaimed.

The young officer’s face seem to develop into a shocked smile, “My favourite TV programme, ” he murmured, “Dad and I always watched it together when he was on leave.”

Alistair looked at the young man and then said softly “He was a very brave man; did anyone tell you how he died?” Alistair asked.

The young Captain shook his head. 

“ I still have your letter Sir, but it gave very little actual detail,” he said quietly. 

Alistair led him to the pew next to the far window and spoke to him for several minutes. After which he left the young officer, who was clearly upset seated, head in his hands.

Doris looked back at the Captain,

“Perhaps I should..,” she started to say.

Alistair shook his head. 

“He needs to be alone, that’s the best way, the only way for an officer to cope.” Her husband told her squeezing her hand.

Doris looked at her husband, had that been his way of coping? How many of the soldiers named here had he written the official letter for? The letter that told their loved ones about the death of a husband, father or son? 

He looked at her seeming to read her thoughts. 

“It was my job to know them and my job to let their families know that I valued them!” he said as they stood in the sunlight outside the church door.

The young officer stepped outside and stopped in surprise when Alistair saluted him. He returned the salute and they headed for the car.

The morning of Armistice day Doris watched her husband dress carefully in a black suit, take from a, locked, cupboard a large wooden box with light blue velvet lining. Inside lay a large cluster of medals, in a draw at the base of the box, a sheaf of paper that she thought must be the citations for the awards were neatly laid, Doris would dearly love to read them. But for some reason Alistair seemed reluctant even to have his medals on display, never mind tell her about why he had been awarded them. He carefully attached the medals to his jacket and snapped the box closed, then locked it back in the cupboard. 

Today after the service she would meet some of the men he had commanded. His past worried her, she knew so little about it. Old soldiers were supposed to brag about their past battles, but Alistair never said a word. Her first husband had often shared his worries and told her stories about his men, but Alistair, never referred back to his army days . What worried her most was that he shut everything he had experienced away inside himself, which wasn’t a good thing to do. She knew he had a breakdown shortly after leaving UNIT.

The Secret State TV documentary had hinted that UNIT had sorted out many strange incidents. She worried about her husband most at night. Often she awoke to orders being barked out in his restless sleep. The one that had frightened her the most had been:- 

“That's an order Mr Yates, you blow this tunnel in exactly 5 minutes, even if I am running up it at the time! If you don't and I live, you'll be on a charge! Do you understand!” 

It frightened her that he had so little regard for his own life. But worse still was contemplating what had frightened him so much that his own death was preferable to letting whatever was down that tunnel escape.

The service had been moving. Alistair, had read the prayer for the fallen; then he'd given the final salute.

Now at the reception, he mingled with his men easily. It was touching to see. Most people thought him cold and pompous on first meeting, but here, with his men, he was different. He was more relaxed, interested to know about how every man was doing in civilian life.  
Just as clearly he was respected by them, maybe even loved.  
She saw John Benton, who had stood in as best man at the wedding after the person Alistair had hoped would be there failed to turn up. She smiled at him as she said, “Alistair seems popular with the men.” 

Benton nodded.

“No finer officer than the Brigadier, Mam!” he said smiling. “You never had to wonder where the insane orders were coming from in UNIT, he was usually shouting them over his shoulder, as he led the charge.” Benton's eyes had a far away look, “The Brigadier never sent a man into a situation he wouldn't go into himself and never left a man behind, even if he had to put himself in danger. That earns respect from the men. He looked her squarely in her eyes “He's a good man, Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart, one of the best!”

Doris already knew that, she had known it in Brighton all those years ago. Perhaps if the postings had been different she and Alistair would have married then. She had love George, but Alistair had been her first real love.

He had got the short straw when the postings had been assigned, he had been going into a war zone. Secretly she knew he had relished the challenge, but he had sadly explained to her that he didn't want to tie her to a marriage only for her to be left a widow within weeks. 

”I know you have another good man besotted with you,” he had said smiling sadly. 

She knew he meant George. They had spent one more glorious night together and then he had left. She would have waited, but when George proposed six months later, Alistair had been reported missing in action months before, he was presumed dead. Doris knew life had to go on, so she and George had been married and they were happy, but months later when Alistair had be found alive, there had been few pangs of regret.

When George had died in Northern Ireland, within a couple of years of their marriage, she had received a short letter of condolence from Alistair, but he had never made any other contact. It had only been after seeing him on the covertly filmed ‘Secret State documentary’ she thought he needed her and she certainly needed him. So she had gone to find him.

A few days after the Armistice day ceremony Sarah Jane had come over to visit Alistair. She had seemed worried and the two of them had walked in the garden out of her ear shot. Their discussion had been intense and it seem to upset Alistair. Ever since she knew he was carrying his pistol at all times, in a holster under his jacket and at night it was under his pillow.

Two days later men were in the house installing a reinforced door to the cellar, the car had also been away for several days, ‘for modifications’. Also Alistair had given her a beautiful, but strange bangle to wear. 

“Doris, this is vitally important” he'd said as he fastened the bangle on her arm. “You must never take this off, in fact you cannot take this off, only I can remove it for you" 

She had looked at the bangle and then at her husband, “So it's a shackle!” she joked.

He didn't smile, “No,... it's my piece of mind,” he said earnestly, “you my love, are my weakest point. You have to be safe!”

She looked at the bangle quizzically. Then looked up into his worried face.

He held her hand in front of her to emphasise “ If there is ever anything that worries or frightens you, no matter how small. You think someone is following you, someone watching you or even just a freak storm or loss of electricity . You place your index finger over the engraving.”

She looked at the engraved message. ‘Es amores mea vitae!’

“It means ‘You are the love of my life!’ And you are!” he said holding eye contact. “This,” he said tapping the bangle, “will keep you safe and alert the right people that we need help!”

She hugged him tight, “Oh Alistair, what is happening!” 

He didn't reply at first, but when he did he just said, “The past doesn't always stay in the correct place!” He held her so tight it felt as if he was hanging on for his very life.

A week had gone by and apart from Alistair double checking all the security in the house every night. His insistence on getting up at all hours and checking the security monitors. Finding shot guns concealed in the summer house, potting shed and under the garden swing, life went on at its normal unhurried pace.

One place Doris always felt safe was in Alistair’s Range Rover, his driving, like most things he had learnt in the Army, was precise. As a ranking officer he had been taught Kidnap Avoidance Driving Skills.

Today their trip to the garden centre outside Chichester had been as enjoyable as ever. They had a selection of late planting spring bulbs to put in the garden that afternoon. As they left the car park of the pub, were they had called for lunch, Alistair’s eyes kept moving to the rear view mirror. Accelerating sharply around the stationary car in front of them at the traffic lights. Alistair turned right across the traffic, resulting in horns blaring at them. “You senile old f.....” one driver screamed after them. Doris grabbed his arm “Alistair?”

He squeezed her hand and tapped the bangle. Doris looked at him and holding her breath placed her finger on the inscription. “Alistair, nothing has happened!,” she shouted. 

He smiled at the apparently empty seat next to him, “Look in the mirror!” he said.

She pulled down the sun visor, looked in the vanity mirror and gasped.

Alistair looked in the mirror at the relentlessly pursuing car. He had to keep Doris safe, for the first time in as long as he could remember he had a selfish reason for not wanting to stand and fight. Perhaps being brave was easier when you didn't really care if you lived or died. But now he'd been given an unexpected slice of happiness and he was reluctant to lose it.

The car behind had gained on them, the Brigadier veered sharply into a left turn then a right one that led towards moor land where the Range Rover’s off road capability would be their saviour. But at the bottom of the narrow road two cars had been slewed around to block any possible exit to the moorland.

“I am a senile old f..!” he muttered. “Herded straight into a trap!”

He looked in dismay at the car gaining on them from behind. His hand dropped to the central console and a panel slid open. The Brigadier skidded the car to a halt, grabbed smoke grenades and a pump action shotgun. He clicked their seat belts off, lent over and whispered, “Watever happens, stay in the car and not a sound,” he urged, “no matter what happens, not a sound, lives, mainly ours, depend on it!”

He exited the car, locked the door and threw the smoke grenades, then as the smoke shielded him from the approaching car, tossed the keys away.

Doris held her breath and watched in horror as two silver, man like robots stepped from behind the road block.

Alistair fired four shots at them, the shots just seemed to bounce off . He threw the gun and ran. 

Doris placed her fist in her mouth to stop herself from crying out as one of the Robots raised it’s arm, and fired a beam of light straight at Alistair. She saw his body arch back in pain and he fell to the floor not moving. It was all Doris could do not to scream and fly out of the car to her husband’s side.

A tall man dressed in all black approached the car. 

“Where's his wife, I need the woman!” he yelled

Doris sat perfectly still, her eyes fixed on Alistair’s body. This couldn't be happening!

“Find the woman" The Man ordered, but then a strange grinding, wheezing noise filled the air. 

The Man indicated towards Alistair and one of the Robots moved towards him, bent down and picked him up as though he was weightless. Then the air around them seemed to shimmer and they were gone. 

Doris sat in complete shock. Suddenly the door of a police box , she hadn't noticed before was flung open. A tall man, with short dark hair, wearing a black leather coat, ran out, followed by Sarah Jane Smith.

Sarah Jane and the Doctor looked at the Range Rover in dismay. As they watched the passenger door flew open without anyone being there and they heard a woman scream! 

“Sarah felt arms wrap around her and felt the invisible woman's sobs. “What the hell were those things? Why did they shoot my Husband! Sarah, why is this happening, where have they taken Alistair?”

Sarah indicated to the Doctor where Doris's wrist with the bangle was, the doctor adjusted the frequency on his sonic screw driver and Doris Lethbridge-Stewart was stood hugging her, tears streaming down her face.

They were sitting in the TARDIS, Sarah Jane holding Doris's hand as she described what had happened. She had not seemed to take in the inconsistency of the TARDIS’s dimensions. 

“Two large silver Robots ?” the Doctor asked?

“Yes, I know it sounds crazy....”

A picture of a Cyberman appeared on the large screen. “Like this one? “ the Doctor asked

Doris looked at the picture and shuddered. “Yes, yes.. just like that!"

“And could this be the man?” A picture of the Master filled the screen.

Doris nodded.

“They shot Alistair!” she moaned. 

Sarah squeezed her hand, ”I am sure, from what you say happened, he's just been stunned. They wouldn't kill him. They really do need him alive!”

“But why is this happening?” Doris begged.

“They want the Fail Safe Access Code to UNIT’s Black Archive.” Sarah said looking at the Doctor.

“But why Alistair?” Doris asked. “He's finished with all that. He left UNIT, so why would he know any secret codes?“

Sarah squeezed the woman's arm, “It's not that straightforward.” she smiled at Doris ,“The Brig may not be active in UNIT but he is still part of the organisation!”

Doris was sat shaking her head.

“Geneva needed one, good, honourable person, they could trust to sort out any problems that other fools created. Who else but Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart would they choose?” Sarah said. “The Brigadier didn’t refuse the role, he knows how important it is“

Poor fool, the Doctor thought, of course he didn't refuse, he would see it as his ‘Duty’ to accept the job.

“Cybermen,” said the Doctor out loud, “what is the Master doing with Cybermen?“

He flipped a button and the image of a stern man wearing a UNIT Colonel’s uniform flashed on screen.

“Please tell me you don't have the Inter Galaxy Portal Key, from that last brush with the Cybermen, locked away in your Black Archive!” the Doctor demanded.

The Colonel looked uneasy, “You know that's classified information!” he replied briskly.

“Well, are you aware that the man with the ‘Fail Safe Access Code’ to your little TOY SHOP has just been abducted, by The Master with the aid of two Cybermen!” he informed the man scornfully. 

The man on the screen paled noticeably. 

“Task Force Two, Task Force Three seal base perimeter. Task Force One secure all Bunker entrances . Special Force One I want you suited up and down Bunker, Tunnel A, in two minutes! “ the Colonel barked into his communications link. 

A voice came over the speaker in the control room, “Fox 2 to Fox Leader, Cybermen , incursion in Bunker!" it reported desperately.

They all heard firing coming over the radio link. 

“It's no good Sir,” a voice called, “the Bunkers isolation force field is stopping us from getting anywhere near them.”

“Of course it is!” the Doctor spat out. “That's what the fail safe code does, it protects the person using it!”

Suddenly the TARDIS doors clanged shut and the Doctor was manipulating the controls. After a moment he grabbed a hammer and brought it down sharply on the console. The time rotor started rising and falling and a terrible grinding wheezing noise filled the air.

Materializing just outside the UNIT control room the TARDIS was surrounded by guards. Ignoring them the Doctor pushed his way through to look at the view of the bunker from the bank of monitors. Sarah and Doris followed in his wake.

A sixteen digit display was flashing on the far wall, the doctor saw that the stage one and two segments were lit up. He looked back at the monitor.” So who is down there.” The Doctor demanded.

“Is Alistair there?” Doris asked. 

Colonel Shelton glowered back at them, but Captain Franks looked at Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart and shook his head ”Just two Cybermen reported so far.” he said

Another light on the display lit up!

“So where's the Master and the Brigadier, where are they getting the code numbers from? The Brig wouldn't be giving them away easily.” Sarah said looking at the Doctor.

“Fox ten get those civilian’s out of my control room!” barked the Colonel.

The Doctor was protesting but to no avail, guards were pushing them out at gun point. The Captain put a restraining hand on the Doctor's arm. He escorted them to a side office Captain Franks clicked on the wall monitor and selected an image of the control room.

The Doctor stood looking at the monitor intently, he noted that the fourth light still hadn't lit up. “How long was it between light one and two” he asked the Captain.

“About a minute and nearer three between two and three"

The Doctor nodded and said “Well it’s been nearly four minutes now since light 3.” with that the fourth light flicked but went out, a few seconds later flicked again and this time stayed lit. “On the bright side we know that Alistair is alive and that he is fighting to stop them getting the code from him, but where is he?”

Sarah looked at Doris, “What did the Master say when he didn't see you in the car?” she asked

Doris thought back, “Where's his wife, I need the woman!” Doris replied.

“So the original plan was the use you to force the Brigadier to give up the code.”

The Doctor completed her thinking, “So what's happening now wasn't part of the plan. They are making it up as the go along. I doubt physical torture would work on the Brigadier.” he mused. 

The Brigadier's wife flinch at his words, he touched her arm gently. “So some how they are reading his mind!” On the wall Light five clicked on

The young Captain consulted his watch, “just under four minutes” he murmured,.

“The E.S.P. test equipment in the old science lab!" both Sarah and the Doctor exclaimed together.

“Captain, are the old labs in block C still there?” The Doctor demanded.

The Captain nodded. “They are locked up, but I know the stuff inside was just left as it was."

“Can you get us there straight away and you'll need a couple of men to detain the Master!” the Doctor yelled heading for the door.

They took the lorry parked next to the entrance, the Doctor driving, Sarah and Doris in the cab, Captain Franks standing on the running board and the two troopers in the back.

It took less then four minutes to get to the old labs. Captain Franks was off the running board and kicking the door in before anyone else was out of the cab. The two troopers were hot on his heels. “To the left” the doctor shouted “fourth door on the right”. 

The door flew off it's hinges as the Captain burst in with his men. The Doctor arrived just in time to see the Master teleport.” In the corner of the room strapped to an examination bed Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, withered in pain. 

Two monitors were lit up. One showed the Master as he teleport in next to the Cybermen. The other showed the Doctor in an earlier incarnation engaging with the Autons. The images on this monitor split and changed, each image was a scene from the Brigadiers past. Every so often a numeral tried to evolve on the screen but the man on the bed fought harder to bring up another memory to mask it, the troubled was the memories that worked best at masking the code were the ones that for so long he had repressed.”

Captain Franks made to drag off the contraption clamped to the Brigadier's head. 

“NO!” yelled the Doctor. “Don’t touch it!”

Suddenly a number appeared on the screen. 

The Doctor was examining the unit clamped to his friend’s head closely. He looked up at Sarah very worried.

“Can you remove it?” She asked quietly .

“Not without causing massive brain injury!” he whispered back. “Interfering with the memories will leave the Brigadier trapped in his past.”

The Master's face filled the other monitor and he smiled menacingly. “So Doctor you understand, remove that head piece and your friend will spend the rest of his life trapped with his own past, battling his own demons. Even now his mind is tearing itself apart, he can't last much longer then we will have the full code!"

Sarah was holding Doris back, she looked at the man writhing in torment on the bed. Her eyes kept being drawn back to images on the screen. Doris was struggling to get to her husband. Sarah turned hurt eyes on the Doctor and saw her own fears reflected in his, seeing their old friend suffering so much and being unable to do anything! 

Captain Franks was reporting in the situation.

Another number appeared on the screen, that was the 7th.

The memory showing on the monitor was the battle field strewn with dead UNIT personnel, it had been one of the Brigadier's earliest meetings with the Doctor in his third incarnation. The man on the bed was muttering “So many Dead, why are there always so many dead. From the monitor they heard the Brigadier’s usual calm tone as he shouted orders, “Sargent Benton medivac the injured and get a containment team down here to remove the bodies.” 

The Doctor saw his former self demanding “Don't you care, are they just disposable, use them up and throw them away. You bloody pompous, arrogant, fool!”

On the bed the Brigadier tore at his restraints, “Care, Of course I care, I knew everyone of them! They were my men; mine, and I let them down, I got them killed!” he moaned.

On the monitor the Brigadier's everyday voice just said “Good Day, Doctor.”

Another number flicked but was quickly buried.

The Doctor had tears in his eyes. He clasped his friends arm, “Alistair, I know you cared about all your people, you cared too much, you always did! Oh... my friend... the only arrogant fool was me! I just didn't understand.”

Sarah too was crying. Doris was just stood traumatised looking between the monitor and her husband. She pulled free from Sarah and grabbed his other arm, trying to calm him, calling his name urgently.

This image on the monitor was different he was driving away, waving cheerfully at a younger Doris. “I should have proposed, given her the ring. For God sake why am I so stupid?” the voice from the monitor was muttering.

Another number tried to raise to the top of his memories. But was buried by another battle scene, this time with the Cybermen!

“Fox 10 to Fox Leader. Please repeat the order!” Captain Franks was saying urgently.

The voice from the walkie talkie was crisp and loud. 

“ Fox 10 you are to Eliminate Greyhound Leader, they must not get that code!”

“Sir," the young man replied “surely there is another option!”

The 8th number appeared on the screen.

“Fox Leader to Fox 10 you have your orders!”

Captain Franks drew his pistol and stepped towards the Brigadier.

Sarah screamed and Doris threw herself between the Captain and her husband.

The Doctor was just looking at the young man in disbelief!

On the screen Corporal Thomas Franks was laid on the floor moaning, “We've got a live one here!” the on screen Brigadier shouted over his shoulder.

“ Leave him Sir!” a voice called back, “they are blowing the tunnels in 90 seconds”. 

“Oh sod it,” the screen voice muttered, as he bent down and hoisted the man over his shoulder.” I used to be pretty good at the sprint" he grunted as he set off running.

A blast sounded and the Brigadier, with the man on his shoulder dived for cover and laid over the injured man to protect him from flying debris. When the dust cleared , Thomas Franks was muttering his last words to the Brigadier.

“Funny old day, Sir,” he whispered, “all I had planned to do today was go to get my boy a gold plated watch off the stall in the market.” The man's voice got weaker. “For his birthday next week.“

“Inscribed?” asked the Brigadier leaning closer. 

A slight smile appeared as Thomas nodded and whispered. “Happy 12th Birthday Tommy, love Dad.”

“He'll get it Tom, no finer gift then a watch,” the Brigadier's voice said as the gold watch on the Brigadier's arm came into view as he closed the dead soldier’s eyes.

Doris knew it to be the watch she had given him all those years ago. The watch he still wore and treasured.

Captain Franks swallowed audibly as he holstered his gun. He unfastened the solid gold watch from his arm, and read the inscription. 

He looked at the Brigadier, then the Doctor and then at the Brigadier’s wife.

Doris looked at the young man, “Please wait,” she pleaded. “Doctor there must be something you can do!“

A moan of despair escaped the Brigadier's lips as the image on the screen showed a woman carrying a little girl being killed by a Yeti. They saw through the Brigadier's eyes him running towards the little girl who was killed a second before the Brigadier could scoop her up to safety. 

Doris moaned as she watched her husband’s memories.

The Doctor just shook his head. Looked at the Captain and said “It maybe the kindest thing!

“At least give me time to say goodbye properly.” Doris begged.

The 9th number came up.

“I'll, do it... after the 13th number!” the Captain said, his voice shaking with emotion. 

The Doctor nodded, He clasped his friend’s hand, “It was a honour knowing you, Alistair, you took a great deal of getting to know, but the effort was worth it. I know of no braver soldier, no finer man and no better friend!”

The Doctor stepped back and Sarah bent to kiss the Brigadier's cheek. 

“Oh Brig, I am going to miss you so much!” she sobbed.

The 10th number came up.

Doris was stroking her husbands face. “I was so glad I saw you on the TV and drove up to find you at the school that day. I was terrified you would have forgotten me. Oh, Alistair, these last few months have been wonderful.”

The Brigadier had stop struggling, his body relaxed. 

The 11th number appeared.

“Alistair today was such a lovely day, I’m so glad we had breakfast in the summer house. I love those bulbs for black and purple tulips that you found. We were going to plant them out this afternoon.” Her voice choked as she said, “My love, I will miss you so much. You were always, My one true love!”

The 12th number appeared.

The Doctor and Sarah turned away as Doris stroked her husbands face and kissed him.

They heard the gun slide out of the Captain's holster and the young man pulling back the safety catch.

The Doctor looked at the monitor and then swung around, Yelling “WAIT!" 

He yanked the wires from the head piece and they all looked at the image on the screen. It was of a garden bathed in winter sunshine.

“Alistair! ” Doris called, urgently shaking his arm.

“I know,” the man on the bed muttered, “I won't plant them in rows, we aren't trooping the colours!” 

“Oh, Darling, you can plant them any way you want!” His wife assured him, her tears dripping on to his chest.

Doris was holding her husband’s hand, as they were sitting in the Medical Officer’s office at UNIT HQ. Alistair was sipping a mug of hot, sweet, UNIT tea. 

The Doctor smiled at his friend. “Nothing changes does it, Alistair?” at his friend's quizzical look he said “UNIT tea, the cure for all ills!”

Alistair gave the Doctor one of his half smiles and nodded. 

Sarah was stood next to the Doctor, “Will he cope with what he's been through today?” Sarah asked. She blinked and said “I don't think I can get some of those images out of my head. The Brigadier’s life has been a bit of a horror show.”

The Doctor sighed “Unfortunately that is the lot of many soldiers. Those who go through so much are never unaffected by their experiences. Alistair’s main problem has been because of the nature of his work he has never been allowed to talk about what he's seen and done. When I was stuck on Earth and Alistair gave me a job and a home at UNIT we would talk through the days events. I feel rather bad that I’ve ignored a friend for so long and let him struggle through.”

Sarah squeezed his hand. “Well one good thing came out of it, Doris now knows what Alistair‘s role in saving the world has been. He now has someone to share those memories with. Someon who can be with him when he needs to talk.”

Captain Franks had reported that the Cybermen and the Master had escaped. But the Black Archive had been secured. 

The Doctor had overseen the destruction of the Galaxy Portal key. Access to Earth for the Cybermen would be a lot more difficult without it.

It was early spring, Doris had organised a small house party to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Sarah, The Doctor and the Brigadier's daughter, Kate, were there.

The Doctor watched his friend walking in the garden with his wife and saw them laughing together. “I think now he has a loving partner he will be fine!” he said to Sarah, a slight smile on his face.

“Yes, I'm relieved to say the Brigadier hasn't suffered too many ill effects from his experience.” Sarah said. “Doris, says he isn't having as many nightmares as he used to have. Plus he tells her more about his time with UNIT. I think Doris wants to thank you for all the times you saved Alistair's life.”

“So, he hasn't told her of all the times he saved our lives then. The guy needs to stop being so modest!”

Sarah smiled, as she said “The Brig is one of the best.”

“No, Sarah, he is, The Best!” the Doctor said earnestly. “And he has now got the reward he deserves, a loving and caring wife.”


End file.
